Wafers are bound to a transfer or storage media, such as Mylar, for ease of transportation and storage after singulation of the wafer into dice. When transfer of one or more dice from the singulated wafer is desired a die is removed from the media and moved to a tray, tape and real or the like for further processing downstream, including the bonding of a die to a substrate (e.g., a package).
In some examples, the die is removed from the media by prying of the die with an array of needles. The array of needles are engaged against a surface of the media opposed to the surface the die is adhered upon. The die is coupled with a manipulator for instance by pneumatic suction. The needle array is driven upwardly into the media. The engagement of each of the needles is transmitted through the media to the die. At the same time the manipulator is moved upward correspondingly to the movement of the needle array. The force transmitted through the media pries the die away from the media thereby decoupling the die from the media. The manipulator transports the decoupled die to a tray, tape and real or the like.
In other examples, the media includes a heat activated material, such as a heat activated Mylar. When decoupling of a die from the media is desired the media is locally heated near the die. Once the media is heated the adhesion between the die and media is broken and the die is removed, for instance with a manipulator.